Note to Correspondents

UNDPI TO HONOUR AD AGENCIES FROM UNITED STATES, BRAZIL AT INTERNATIONAL

ADVERTISING AWARDS SHOW ON 31 JANUARY

Public Service Advertisements on Environmental Conservation,

Racial Discrimination and Domestic Violence to Receive Awards

Advertising agencies from the United States and Brazil will be honoured for public service advertising on Friday, 31 January 2003, when the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) Awards are presented at the 2002 International Advertising AwardsShow at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.  Raymond Sommereyns, currently Officer-in-Charge of the Department, and Director of its Outreach Division, will speak at the awards presentation.

The UNDPI Awards, presented annually and jointly sponsored by the Department and the New York Festivals, were established in 1990 to honour public service advertising that best exemplifies the ideals and goals of the United Nations. Entries considered for the awards this year dealt with issues, including energy conservation, hunger, volunteer work and the rights of disabled persons.

The judges selected three public service advertisements/campaigns -- two television and one print -- to receive awards.  BBDO West, San Francisco, CA, U.S.A., will receive the Gold UNDPI Award for a television advertisement about environmental conservation, entitled "Outdoor Anthem", which they produced for the Sierra Club.  Leo Burnett/Chicago, IL, U.S.A., will receive the Silver UNDPI Award for "Interview/Table/Why", a television advertising campaign about racial discrimination, which they produced for the Ad Council/Underground Railroad Freedom Center.  The Bronze UNDPI Award will go to Contexto-BH, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, for "No Violence", a print advertisement on the subject of domestic violence, which they produced for Rede Globo.

In addition to the winners, the following companies will be honoured as finalists:  Echo Advertising and Marketing (Canada), McCann-Erickson Guangming Limited (Hong Kong), Michael Conrad & Leo Burnett (Germany), PPGH/JWT (Netherlands), Publicis Casadevall Pedreno & PRG (Spain), Taxi (Canada), and TBWA/Berlin (Germany).

For information, please call (212) 963-6923 or (212) 963-7346.

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